Top 50: Comments from non-vegans

[Roxy]

LOL "How do you expect to ever get married?"

[cruelkitti]

yeah, that's crazy...I've only ever heard that a couple times in my life, but it was never in response to telling someone I was vegan. Wow...

[ivandurago]

Think I have heard just about all of those haha

[Roxy]

yeah, that's crazy...I've only ever heard that a couple times in my life, but it was never in response to telling someone I was vegan. Wow...

If someone ever asked me "How do you expect to ever get married?" I could honestly say, I don't.

[cruelkitti]

Yeah, and that's true for me, too! I just don't believe marriage is the right choice for me.

[Bunger]

I hope that when we do get people who listen to us about our lifestyle choices, that we're able to get them to think differently, if even for a few moments. Who knows the effect it could have on their lives, or perhaps the lives of the people they relay the story to. To even change their planning of a single meal away from meat, is a possitive effect.

[Roxy]

I just don't believe marriage is the right choice for me.

Same here.

Bunger - I agree. Even if we don't turn people vegan overnight, we can hope that we may have planted a seed in their heads and in their hearts.

[Healthy]

Roxy, you definitely plant seeds. I only became a vegan three months ago and I can't believe some of the positive vegan-related stuff that's been coming out of my boyfriend's mouth lately!

When I first made the announcement I was going vegan, he almost didn't want to hear it. Now he's extremely supportive and even lecturing people on their health and how they should eat vegan "meats" instead of bacon.

It blows my mind. And like Bunger said, even if it's one meal away from meat. I said this on another thread, Sunday night my boyfriend had a pasta dinner with vegan sauce and didn't even use cheese! He said it was weird, but he did it and I'm so proud of him.

So, keep planting the seeds, we're all doing a great job.

[Jippia]

I am happily married to an omni who eats mainly vegetarian at home. I thank the food industry for vegan burgers and sausages, because there are actually some he likes as well.

Actually, he gets more questions about me being vegan than I.

Mirjam

[Jessicake]

I get a lot of, "It's not like it hurts the cow to be milked" or, "Just eat it!".
Both of which are very annoying.

[Haniska]

"Its just food!"

[Aurore]

"vegetarians don't eat meat, but they eat fish with no problem".
"you're vegetarian ? okay, so take fish instead !"
i swear i even saw on a restaurant's menu an asterix near the meals made with fish saying "for vegetarians". i've stopped going there since.
"okay, i understand you don't want to eat meat, but come on ! once in a while, it won't kill you".

[steven1222]

[In a confused tone] "None of your parents or grandparents have been vegetarians, yet you... came to the conclusion to eat no meat."

[Jessicake]

"Well I'm sure you still eat fish, right?"
"No, I don't eat any animal products."
"Not even fish?! Wow..."

Like it's so astonishing...

[Jippia]

Well, I have a SIL who eats fish but no meat or fowl and she calls herself a vegetarian to not confuse people and get meat...

I also get the fish question quite often, too.

[Aurore]

mom and i yesterday grocery shopping. i go take some soy milk and go back to my mom.
-thanks sweetie, now go take some normal milk for your brother.
-normal? mom it's cow milk. it's normal milk for cows but not for humans.
-yes. but it's normal milk, you know your brother only drinks this one, so go take some normal milk too.
(sigh)-ok.

[Haniska]

[In a confused tone] "None of your parents or grandparents have been vegetarians, yet you... came to the conclusion to eat no meat."

"Oh, were your parents vegetarian?" *encouraging nod*
And then complete confusion when you say no.

[sugarmouse]

Ok I have been given the 'but what would they do with all the cows' question and not known how to respond.Ugh.
Help?!

[Roxy]

Well it's not like they would release all the cows at once. They would have to stop breeding the cows, and when the current generation die out, no more cows will be born in captivity. We will only have wild moo-moos roaming the planet.

[Heartsease]

If someone ever asked me "How do you expect to ever get married?" I could honestly say, I don't.

It's such a silly question really. I think there probably ARE less potential partners if one only dates vegans but it also depends how far a person is willing to go in 'looking' for that elusive vegan mate. The fact they used the word 'marriage' is'nt really the point, is it. I think they were implying that being vegan is so extreme nobody would be able to tolerate it. Well...one can flip that round easily enough.

[sugarmouse]

In the end I said this (it was on another discussion forum)

I am not proposing that that would ever happen all in one go,nothing ever does. It would be a gradual and managable process. There are only so many cows because we breed them intensively,often artificially, at a far FAR faster rate than they wold every be capable of in a natural environment. Continually!

'Not everyone will (can) go vegan at once. There would be a tapering off.As fewer animals are needed, fewer would be forced into pregnancy and reproduction until there were only a few around kept as pets or companians . If the world went vegan all at once, there could be some problems. At first there would be far too many cows and chickens and pigs and so on, but eventually since the demand was gone, they over breeding would not happen and they would naturally be lesser. . depending on the rate of which the world went vegan it may or may not cause small scale problems. , but problems we could handle (as we handle the many that the meat industry produces now!) and a problem that many would gladly accept.'

[Roxy]

It's such a silly question really. I think there probably ARE less potential partners if one only dates vegans but it also depends how far a person is willing to go in 'looking' for that elusive vegan mate. The fact they used the word 'marriage' is'nt really the point, is it. I think they were implying that being vegan is so extreme nobody would be able to tolerate it. Well...one can flip that round easily enough.

Yes, true enough. If I became single again though, I think I'd prefer to be absolutely alone, rather than with someone else who doesn't share my passion for veganism and animal rights.

[Linus]

I have dated meat-eaters and it's very difficult for me. If you're going to end up living together, at some point you will have to share the kitchen with her... I'm not willing to go through that again.

[Aurore]

ugh. mom bought muffin molds and asked for recipes. i said i would search for some and happened to mention i didn't like to use eggs in cakes.
"yes, but honey, that's the way they're made" with a resigned and patient tone.
okay... that's the thing that annoys me most, that because you don't try to see beyond what you always have known you don't acknowledge even the possibility that there is a different way to do things. (lol they eat the cakes i bake, do i really have to be sneaky ?).

[Jippia]

Some mothers are so caught in their own way of doing things that they cannot really see beyond that. They do not know another way to do it. That can be very annoying.
We have an almost meat-free household and people do not seem to be able to understand that this was a decision of the both of us, not me forcing my husband to give up meat at home. I never did that and he eats a curry sausage when we buy fries at the takeaway here. The unbelief that it was entirely his own decision to eat along with me is what I hear a lot.
Also the idea that there is nothing left to eat when you give up all animal foods, including dairy and eggs. I usually get very healthy looking plates when I am eating out with my colleagues or others and some are amazed that it looks so good. Even if it is just a big bowl of salad. It can be funny, too. Especially when they first wondered if I would get anything at all.
Something I also get asked a lot is "You do not know what you are missing" when they are eating something they find delicious but contains meat, dairy or eggs. I was an omni for more than twenty years before I went vegetarian and this year that will be nine years ago. I do know what I am supposed to be missing, but I honestly do not miss anything at all. Somehow, the conversation tends to end here.

[TwentyFiveButtons]

My no. 1 comment from meat-eaters is "wait, you can eat (insert food item here)?!" Another symptom of the omni misconception that veganism cuts out anything that isn't an actual raw hunk of plant matter. Chocolate? Doesn't that always contain milk? Answer: real chocolate doesn't. Bread? Doesn't that always contain eggs? Um, no. Wait, you can eat dried fruit?! Doesn't that have... um... like chicken or something in it?

[Roxy]

I know exactly what you're talking about TwentyFiveButtons. This stupid girl I used to work with once started a rumour about me:

"Roxy's not a vegan! I saw her eating BREAD "

FFS.

[SaraMonster]

I have a fun one for you, when I told my mother I was going vegan she said: "So like, you can't eat vegetables or something?" sad but true.

[Aurore]

I have a fun one for you, when I told my mother I was going vegan she said: "So like, you can't eat vegetables or something?" sad but true.

LOOOL !

[Haniska]

Were you a vegetarian before?

[SaraMonster]

Were you a vegetarian before?

For about a week , then I shifted quickly to veganism. The transition was really fast.

[Pilaf]

Some skinny guy who's always tired at work (he seriously can't stay awake at break time) was concerned about my energy levels the other day. "You're gonna pass out from lack of nutrients.."

Four minutes later, he was sound asleep on the table and I was reading the newspaper with a grin.

[sugarmouse]

Lol!
My mother was once overhead telling folk at a gathering that I was a vegan and therefore didnt eat chemicals.

[Pilaf]

LMFAO...

Who eats chemicals anyway? Certainly doesn't seem like something any rational person would do. XD

"I'm so thirsty for bleach right about now!"

[Haniska]

For about a week , then I shifted quickly to veganism. The transition was really fast.

I wonder if she was like "You were vegetarian ie:"only ate vegetables and nothing else" and now you were this new thing, "Vegan ie: only eats..."

[Anouk]

I wonder if she was like "You were vegetarian ie:"only ate vegetables and nothing else" and now you were this new thing, "Vegan ie: only eats..."

... potatoes and pasta ? (asked my little cousin).

[SaraMonster]

lol

[Haniska]

HAHA! If I had gone vegan as a teenager (was a vegetarian then) cutting out cheese would have left me with pasta and potatoes.

[bryzee86]

I'd have been left with just veg and bread. I have taken up so much since going vegan.

We rock.

[Haniska]

We do

[SaraMonster]

My diet has expanded exponentially since going vegan. I used to mostly eat frozen processed foods. Most of my food is homemade now, and a hellot healthier. Yay veganism!

[JC]

ugh. mom bought muffin molds and asked for recipes. i said i would search for some and happened to mention i didn't like to use eggs in cakes.
"yes, but honey, that's the way they're made" with a resigned and patient tone.
okay... that's the thing that annoys me most, that because you don't try to see beyond what you always have known you don't acknowledge even the possibility that there is a different way to do things. (lol they eat the cakes i bake, do i really have to be sneaky ?).

i always think that about everything. it's like everything in society has been normalised, and if you don't conform, you're a freak. veganism is one of course, but then there's other things. like, why is it that only a doctor's diagnosis is right? there are so many other methods of dealing with health problems, but only drugs prescribed by a doctor are considered acceptable. why is it ok to kill a cow but not a dog (*cough RSPCA* they should change their name to ....protection from cruelty of certain animals, coz we like to eat the others...)? why can't i eat soup for breakfast? why do you have to get married and have kids? and what's wrong with wanting to go for a walk when it's dark and heavily raining??? sorry, i've completely gone off topic, but all these things have been majorly annoying me recently!

[JC]

oh yeah, and back to the topic, lol, i always get comments like 'but you not eating meat doesn't do anything, the animals will still be killed' blah blah.

and yeah, the one that's up there about human lives being more important than animal. i was discussing it with my friend once, and when i said that i value all lives equally, she looked at me as if i'd just slapped her or something!

[Anouk]

my little bro (he's 10 yrs old) figured out, that the crackers he loves so much are from soy ... and tamari sauce as well. Today he discovered chocolate soy milk tastes great ... and ate my veggie sausages oh, and he loved vegan pancakes for breakfast as well (ones with wholegrain flour, bananas and maple syrup).

till now he has always been like " what are you eating? well, it must be something strange and disgusting, it's your healthy food". he said he could easily become vegan with all this tastey foods. surprised me a big time, because he lives mostly on meat, dairy and sweets. the only vegetables he likes are potatoes and tomatoes. well, step by step ...

[Aurore]

oh yeah, and back to the topic, lol, i always get comments like 'but you not eating meat doesn't do anything, the animals will still be killed' blah blah.

and yeah, the one that's up there about human lives being more important than animal. i was discussing it with my friend once, and when i said that i value all lives equally, she looked at me as if i'd just slapped her or something!

freak i don't like much this argument. ok, so if i stop eating meat it won't change anything because people around me will still eat it. well, you never know. many people don't dare doing things different, so maybe your action is the kick in their ass they were waiting for.

[Aurore]

my little bro (he's 10 yrs old) figured out, that the crackers he loves so much are from soy ... and tamari sauce as well. Today he discovered chocolate soy milk tastes great ... and ate my veggie sausages oh, and he loved vegan pancakes for breakfast as well (ones with wholegrain flour, bananas and maple syrup).

till now he has always been like " what are you eating? well, it must be something strange and disgusting, it's your healthy food". he said he could easily become vegan with all this tastey foods. surprised me a big time, because he lives mostly on meat, dairy and sweets. the only vegetables he likes are potatoes and tomatoes. well, step by step ...

good for him ! even if he doesn't become vegan in the future, at least he'll know we don't eat martian food.

i've converted my mom to quinoa (yay!) and i have to keep a part of my tofu steaks for her as she wants to taste.

[Anouk]

good for him ! even if he doesn't become vegan in the future, at least he'll know we don't eat martian food.

i've converted my mom to quinoa (yay!) and i have to keep a part of my tofu steaks for her as she wants to taste.

exactly .

[Haniska]

freak i don't like much this argument. ok, so if i stop eating meat it won't change anything because people around me will still eat it. well, you never know. many people don't dare doing things different, so maybe your action is the kick in their ass they were waiting for.

You know, I am totally terrified of anything new. Like, I am in awe of people who play an instrument. I'd love to but I always have zero concentration and much frustration. I guess omnivores must have some of those same feelings.
Maybe if music could save lives I could do it.

[august]

I heard a new one yesterday. I was leafleting at an Earth Day event and a lady walked by. I held a leaflet out for her and asked if she would like to learn about veganism. She asked why- like why would she want to learn about veganism- and I said to save the lives of animals and to reduce our impact on the earth. I started to explain the environmental impact of eating animals and she interrupted me, looked at the leaflet and said she would rather save the paper- referring to the leaflet. She frowned at me and walked away. I noticed as she was walking away that she had a canvas bag that said 'Save the Environment-Recycle'. I wonder how someone who obviously cares for the environment could seemingly care less to hear about the environmental implications of eating animals.

[JC]

i know it sounds harsh, but that lady probably only cares about the environment because the potential destruction of it would affect her. maybe she's just selfish? surely she would care if she knew the ins and outs of meat and dairy production, which are actually worse for the environment than the production of a few leaflets.